There has been limited consideration of the training and support needs of therapists from minoritised ethnic backgrounds. This study quantitatively evaluates a novel application of self-practice/self-reflection (SP/SR) to CBT therapists from minoritised ethnic backgrounds. The study aimed to explore the impact of the SP/SR programme on (1) therapists’ skills in working with ethnicity in their clinical practice; (2) their ethnic identity development; and (3) their perceived levels of personal and professional wellbeing, during the intervention and at follow-up. A multiple baseline single case experimental design was adopted. Measures were developed and adapted for this evaluation and weekly outcomes relating to therapist skill development, ethnic identity development, and personal and professional wellbeing were collected. The outcomes of six participants were analysed using visual and statistical analysis. The results indicated that the SP/SR programme significantly improved therapist skills in identifying and addressing similarities and differences in ethnicity within therapy during the intervention. Improvements were also seen across other skills, ethnic identity developmental and wellbeing outcomes between the baseline and SP/SR phases, with some participants showing significant improvements. Outcomes from the follow-up phase presented a more mixed picture. Therefore, the findings give some support for the SP/SR programme in developing therapist skills in working with ethnicity, as well as highlighting differential outcomes for participants related to their levels of experience and engagement. The findings may have possible implications for the personal and professional development of ethnically minoritised therapists, as well as future quantitative SP/SR research.
Key learning aims
(1) To provide an overview of self-practice/self-reflection (SP/SR) and its theoretical underpinnings.
(2) To summarise the current issues around the development of cultural competence, particularly for therapists from minoritised ethnic backgrounds.
(3) To introduce and describe a novel SP/SR programme for CBT therapists from minoritised ethnic backgrounds.
(4) To highlight the importance of considering ethnicity within clinical practice, both in terms of the provision of culturally competent therapy as well as to support the personal and professional development of therapists from minoritised ethnic backgrounds.
